Contract for the electrification of sections of the Munich-Lindau line awarded

Munich and Zurich are both major cities in two of the most economically powerful regions of Europe, however, the rail link between the two cities does not correspond with modern standards.

To combat this, Deutsche Bahn, the Federal Republic of Germany, the State of Bavaria and the Swiss Confederation are now investing in the electrification and modernisation of the line between Munich and Zurich, with the objective being to reduce the travelling time between the two cities to 3 hours and 30 minutes.

In addition to electrification, the project also includes the modernisation of the train stations in Türkheim and Kißlegg, adaptions and track construction adjustments to enable modern trains to navigate curves at higher speeds, and construction work at rail crossings and road bridges.

“In Germany – one of the most important core markets for Powerlines – we expect a very stable and sustainable business in the coming years, also due to the passing of the Federal Transport Infrastructure Plan,” said Gerhard Ehringer, CEO Powerlines Group GmbH. “The Munich-Lindau project, as part of the Munich-Zurich route, is also essential for the expansion of the trans-European network. I am delighted that Deutsche Bahn once again rely on Powerlines as a reliable partner. “

As part of this electrification on these two sections, Powerlines Germany will install a total of 465, 481 cantilevers, 38km of high-strength AC-100 Elcorim-type catenary cable, 59km of feeder line and 4km of return feeders.

The feeder line is to be installed along the new overhead catenary system without taking up any additional space, so there will be no need to install new transmission line infrastructure in the Allgäu region

This work is expected to be completed by December 2020.